We take a look at favorites, sleepers and dark horse candidates to win the 2022 ACC men's basketball tournament.
The 2022 ACC tournament will begin on March 8 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The tournament will run every day till March 12 and will end at 8:30 pm with the final of that day's tournament. ET.
We'll take a look at some of the best teams in each conference, and provide selections and predictions for each conference tournament. Too many favorites will win, but we've got a few sleepers who may be able to steer clear of a big mess on their way to the NCAA Tournament.
Favourite: Duke Blue Devils
A small fire could occur beneath the crew of Coach K as they entered Barclays Center. The legendary coach's home departure on March 5 was spoiled by arch-rival North Carolina Tar Heels. Despite the defeat, it is a well-rounded Duke team, which ranks in the top 25 in offensive and defensive proficiency. And it has only lost twice since mid-January. Six-foot-ten frog Paolo Banchero lives up to billing as one of the game's best players, and is complemented by center Mark Williams, guard Wendell Moore and forward AJ Griffin. It's the best team in the ACC, and it really isn't that close. The DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Blue Devils as the tournament favorite at -130.
Sleeper: North Carolina Tar Heels
Halfway through his first season as head man at UNC, there were people questioning the position of Hubert Davis' job. The Heels were 12–6 on aggregate, 4–3 in the conference. From there, North Carolina went 11-2 and picked up Virginia Tech's season sweep and the aforementioned highlight victory over the Blue Devils. Now no one should think about Davis' future. Junior center Armando Becote, who has 23 double-doubles this season, has been excellent, especially since the beginning of February. Fellow big man Brady Manek delivers an inside-out appearance as he hits 40 percent of his 3-pointers this year. Turnover will be significant for the Tar Heels (they rank sub-300 in turnover margin), but if they can take care of the ball, they can score a deep run in Brooklyn. Maybe the win in Durham, NC will serve as a confidence booster as they head north. According to the DraftKings Sportsbook, he has the second best chance of winning this conference tournament at +800.
Dark Horse: Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Fifth-seeded Damon Deacon is the only team in the conference other than Duke to sit in the top three in offensive and defensive proficiency. They can bully you in color and maybe the ACC's best player beyond Banchero is led by guard Alondes Williams. He leads the conference in points, assists, field goals and chips in nearly seven rebounds per game. He hasn't played well over 3-3 in his last six games of late - but maybe scoring a combined 200 points in the last two games of his regular season will show what it achieves in the Damon Deacon offense tournament . They have +1000 odds to cut the net.
Chances of Winning ACC Tournaments from DraftKings Sportsbook
Duke -130
North Carolina +850
Wake Forest +900
Notre Dame +1000
Virginia Tech +1000
Miami (FL) +1000
Virginia +1800
Syracuse +4000
Florida State +7500
Clemson +8000
Louisville +9000
North Carolina State +10000
Georgia Tech +15000
Pitt +20000
Boston College +25000